With Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs scrapping the J&K Mutton (Licensing and Control) order 1973 and prohibiting price controlling authorities to stop regulation the prices of mutton, poultry chicken , eggs and all such food items ahead of Eid Ul Adha the consumer finds himself at the receiving end across Jammu & Kashmir. Knowing that it is not only the issue of regulating the prices of mutton, Poultry chicken and other such consumer goods but it also involves the issue of fixing the prices for sacrificial lambs ahead of upcoming Eid Ul Adha, the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department could have atleast delayed and deferred the decision of withdrawing J&K Mutton (Licensing and Control) order 1973 till Eid Ul Adha in larger public interests. A hasty decision taken merely in reference to an interdepartmental discussion and an advice of Central Government has not only put the consumer in Jammu & Kashmir at the receiving end but it is likely to bring the consumer and the mutton retailer on confrontation on no less important a religious occasion that Eid Ul Adha and amid peak wedding season across Kashmir. Interestingly J&K Mutton (Licensing and Control) order 1973 was not withdrawn but enforced more forcefully force for decades together and even after the passing of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 by the parliament. Fortunately nothing against the regulation of the prices of consumer goods is mentioned in the consumer protection act 2019 but unfortunately an interdepartmental discussion under reference to an advice of the central government has been made basis for the withdrawal of J&K Mutton (Licensing and Control) order 1973 despite the fact that advice of central or any State/ UT Government can’t replace an act passed by the parliament with President according ascent to it. Besides the controversy over the legal validity of the order of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department issued by it to withdraw J&K Mutton (Licensing and Control) order 1973 the responsibility of the Government to control prices of consumer goods is a matter of public debate and as such the decision taken without taking on board all the stakeholders has created an atmosphere of chaos and confusion among the people ahead of Eid-Ul-Adha across Jammu & Kashmir. While prices of consumer goods are controlled well by the State and UT Governments across the country, the decision to deny regulation of consumer goods can’t be enforced in Jammu & Kashmir in isolation.
“Government not regulating the prices of mutton, poultry chicken, eggs and other such consumer good could even in result in scuffles between the consumers and mutton and poultry retailers more so on religious occasions like Eid-Ul- Adha. Allowing mutton and poultry retailers to carry on their trade practice without regulation of prices from the Government would only intensify the increasing chaos and confusion among the people ahead of Eid-Ul-Adha across Jammu & Kashmir. Administrative wisdom demands that regulation of prices of essential commodities particularly those of mutton and poultry chicken is restored and reviewed at Eid related review meetings before the commencement of Eid Ul Adha”.
The price control measures enforced to regulate prices of consumer good in rest of the country are equally applicable to Jammu & Kashmir and withdrawing the order to regulate prices of consumer goods is against the basic spirits of consumerism. What matters the most is the fact that asking the mutton and poultry retailers to sell commodities at the prices convenient to them without the fear of any accountability from the Government would mean an open license to retailers of other consumer goods also to sell commodities at the prices convenient to them but not according set norms and procedures of consumerism. Government not regulating the prices of mutton, poultry chicken, eggs and other such consumer good could even in result in scuffles between the consumers and mutton and poultry retailers more so on religious occasions like Eid-Ul- Adha. Allowing mutton and poultry retailers to carry on their trade practice without regulation of prices from the Government would only intensify the increasing chaos and confusion among the people ahead of Eid-Ul-Adha across Jammu & Kashmir. Administrative wisdom demands that regulation of prices of essential commodities particularly those of mutton and poultry chicken is restored and reviewed at Eid related review meetings before the commencement of Eid Ul Adha.
editor@ thekashmirhorizon.com